Saturday, March 21, 2009

Charles Wadsworth Concert Marks an 80th Birthday Celebration

This year’s Charles Wadsworth & Friends concert takes on special significance as it serves as a celebration of acclaimed pianist and musician Charles Wadsworth’s 80th birthday. This year also marks a turning point in Wadsworth’s career as he approaches an octogenarian status and looks forward to a less rigorous schedule. Wadsworth stated, “I’ve been involved in the Festival in Spoleto, Italy, for 50 years now and in the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston for well over 30 years. I’ve enjoyed touring, but it’s involved traveling from one city to another, often without a break, and much of it has been international traveling for extended periods.” Having recently returned from an extensive and highly successful series of concerts in South America with several audiences that numbered in the thousands, Wadsworth says, “I’m giving it up!”

After his recent decision to discontinue extensive touring and drastically diminish his performance demands, many of Wadsworth’s concerts have become “Farewell” events. For Wadsworth, there are doors to be closed and doors to be opened. A few of the doors being opened involve spending more time composing music and lecturing to students. His diminished concert schedule may include single concerts requiring minimal travel. One door that will be left ajar relates to Newnan and Coweta County. “My concerts in Newnan and all the people there have always been special to me, and as long as I’m able, I’ll want to keep that door open,” said Wadsworth. He continued and said, “This year’s concert in Newnan is special to me in an additional way. Not only because it nearly coincides with my birthday, but also because my wife Susan, my two daughters, my grandchildren, and several other relatives will join me for the occasion.”

Wadsworth’s achievement of attaining octogenarian status represents a notable accomplishment. Marking that date, accompanied by such a massive list of credits, makes it a far more impressive birthday. Touring throughout the U.S. and the world, performing for heads-of-state and for audiences that now total in the millions, receiving such an abundance of accolades and awards … the sum of it all is much more than substantial. Only a few such native sons have gained such fame.

Over the years, Charles Wadsworth has devoted more and more of his time to fostering musical talent and spotlighting the most accomplished musicians of today and tomorrow. On March 28 the “Wadsworth & Friends” concert continues that goal when Wadsworth accompanies five of classical music’s finest performers in the newly refurbished Art Deco Newnan auditorium named in his honor. The audience will be treated to an evening of world-class entertainment … just a few hundred feet from where the young Charles Wadsworth lived as a boy and began the journey of his career.

Tickets for the 7:30 pm event will be available at Scott’s Bookstore in Newnan, Morgan’s Jewelry in Ashley Park, and the Bank of Coweta at Thomas Crossroads. General seating adult tickets are $20 and Senior/Student tickets are $15.---www.FayetteFrontPage.comFayette Front PageCommunity News You Can UseFayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyronewww.GeorgiaFrontPage.comwww.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com---